


Much Better

by hotfruits



Series: Kink Meme Responses [2]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Asperger Syndrome, Family Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-10 11:31:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4390178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotfruits/pseuds/hotfruits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Response to the Criminal Minds Kink Meme: "I am nothing like Sheldon Cooper."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Much Better

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything.

Spencer pressed two fingers around his eye socket, massaging the tender area with a grimace. He could feel a headache beginning to develop and took a deep breath, dropping his hand back to his side and meeting Ashley’s eyes once more. “I am nothing like Sheldon Cooper,” he said calmly, despite his jittering nerves and aching skull.

“I’m sorry,” Ashley began to slouch, her shoulders closing in on herself, but her gaze never wavered, “I didn’t mean to offend, you just reminded me of him.”

“How could I possibly remind you of him?” Spencer asked incredulously, ignoring J.J.’s soothing placations and Derek’s strong hand on his shoulder. 

Ashley cleared her throat and said, “Because you both have Asperger’s…” she paused, clearing her throat again, “right?”

“Spence, c’mon,” J.J. whispered, eyes pleading for him to drop it and move on. He couldn’t though, so instead he squared his shoulders and began, “First of all, I have never been officially diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, although I do exhibit several of the symptoms mentioned in the DSM-V,” Spencer breathed in, continuing, “Second, Sheldon Cooper is a gross misrepresentation of what Asperger’s Syndrome looks like in an adult.”

“How so?” Emily asked, speaking up from her position next to Ashley, “I remember reading an article online about Parson’s portrayal of Sheldon Cooper, and how it shed light on individuals with Asperger’s.”

“Well, to loosely quote my friend and colleague Derek Morgan,” David snorted from across the aisle, eyes still buried in his newspaper, “They’re fucking idiots.”  
David laughed aloud this time, while Aaron continued to text Jessica.

“He may lack social cues and have narrow interests, but that’s all,” Spencer lectured, pausing for a moment to rub a sore area around his temple. “And really, his lack of social cues derives more from his inability to relate to his peers, because in his mind, he is far superior to them. Sheldon Cooper is an unemphatic, narcissistic jerk. And the fact that you,” Spencer broke off, looking down at his shaking hands, which were tapping patterns onto his thighs, “Are reminded of me when you see him…it hurts.”

“Spencer,” Ashley began, her tone laced with guilt, but Spencer interrupted her, continuing from before, “I don’t really have a narrow set of interests, although I suppose literature and science garner most of my attention. I am socially awkward and often miss social cues, but I also never had anyone my age to work on those skills with. The problem with being a prodigal genius,” he scoffed, now clenching his fists, “And I don’t lack empathy, at least not completely. Did you know that empathy can be broken down into three sub-categories?”

“Emotional, compassionate, and cognitive,” Derek responded, receiving a small smile in return.

“I have emotional and compassionate empathy. When you guys are sad, I feel sad too, and then I want to make you feel better. The only one I struggle with is cognitive empathy, which is the ability to, essentially, put one’s self in the other person’s shoes. But a lot of people struggle with that,” Spencer looked over at Aaron, who was grinning at the picture that Jessica had sent him of Jack. “For example, I can’t imagine the pain Hotch went through after losing Hayley, but I can understand Jack’s pain, because I’ve lost a parent. Not because he died, although it felt like that, considering how he left and then never-“

“Spence,” J.J. quietly interrupted him, sensing that he was about to go off on a tangent.

Spencer smiled thinly, thanking J.J. with a nod, “Last, I’m not narcissistic. I don’t see myself as your superior, just because I’m smarter in certain academic areas. If anything, I’ve always felt that you guys were so much better than me…”

“There’s no better or worse here, pretty boy,” Derek grinned, ruffling his hair.

“Maybe I have Asperger’s, maybe I don’t. What I know for certain is that I am a genius, I am incredibly anxious and am prone to bouts of depression, my self-esteem, in regards to my physical appearance is…not healthy,” Spencer took in a deep breath while looking around the cabin, to see that everyone’s attention was on him, “But I also love my mom, and this family, and I love Russian literature and Doctor Who and most sushi, although I find octopus too…squishy, for my taste,” the team began to chuckle, Spencer included, the mood in the cabin beginning to lighten. “I know you didn’t mean to offend,” he directed his attention back towards Ashley, his tone much softer than before, “and I’m not angry, at least not anymore. I just don’t want you to see me that way.”

Ashley shook her head, smiling, “I don’t, not anymore.”

Spencer smiled back, his headache beginning to dissipate. 

“If anything,” Emily pipped up, breaking the silence that had begun to settle in the cabin, “Spencer is more like Will Graham from Hannibal.”

Derek groaned, while J.J. rolled her eyes and Aaron, David, and Ashley began to laugh, as Spencer launched into another lecture, Emily nodding along and the two of them smiling the whole time.


End file.
